Welcome to the Consumerist Archives

Thanks for visiting Consumerist.com. As of October 2017, Consumerist is no longer producing new content, but feel free to browse through our archives. Here you can find 12 years worth of articles on everything from how to avoid dodgy scams to writing an effective complaint letter. Check out some of our greatest hits below, explore the categories listed on the left-hand side of the page, or head to CR.org for ratings, reviews, and consumer news.

Tanner says Chipotle hooked her up big-time after she bought a burrito bowl in San Francisco only to have the bowl come apart and splattered all over her purse.

She called back and was rewarded with a full refund and five free meals. Read and weep with envy:

My boyfriend is an avid reader of your website and encouraged me to send this story in to you:

I ordered a burrito bowl from Chipotle from their website. I picked it up from the Chipotle store I ordered it to, dropped the bag in my purse and continued on with my day. When I got to my next location, I looked in my purse to discover that the burrito bowl itself had nearly disintegrated and spilled a ton of soupy beans, lettuce, salsa and chicken all over my wallet, cell phone… everything. I was pretty frustrated and called the Chipotle and told them what had just happened. Lauren, the employee with whom I spoke was just so lovely and helpful. She not only offered to refund my credit card, but she also offered to send me a coupon for a free burrito bowl. Great, right? When I called back today to give her my address, she remembered the whole story and continued to be understanding and apologetic. She then told me that she and her manager wanted to do more.

They gave me the Chipotle Fishbowl Deal – which is their “drop your business card in and win” promotion. Which translates to not only did they give me a full refund, but they also gave me 5 free meals – including chips, guacamole and drinks. Overall, just unbelievable customer service from an unexpected burrito chain.

What’s the best result a restaurant complaint ever netted you?

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization,Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.